was loaded with the moft exquifite delicacies of every kind. Damocles fancied himself amongst the Gods. In the midst of all his happiness, he fees, let down from the roof exactly over his neck as he lay indulging himfelf in fate, a glittering fword hung by a fingle hair. The fight of deftruction thus threatening him from on high, foon put a stop to his joy and revelling. The pomp of his attendance, and the glitter of the carved plate, gave him no longer any pleasure. He dreads to ftretch forth his hand to the table. He throws off the chaplet of roses. He haftens to remove from his dangerous fituation, and at laft begs the king to restore him to his former humble condition, havir no defire to enjoy any longer fuch a dreadful kind of happiness.

The Vision of Theodore, the Hermit of Teneriffe, found in his Cell.

SON

ON of perfeverance, whoever thou art, whose curiofity has led thee hither, read and be wife. He that now calls upon thee is Theodore, the hermit of Teneriffe, who, in the fifty-feventh year of his retreat, left this inftruction to mankind, left his folitary hours fhould be spent in vain.

I was once what thou art now, a groveller on the carth, and a gazer at the sky; I trafficked and heaped wealth together, I loved and was favoured, I wore the robe of honour, and heard the music of adulation; I was ambitious, and rofe to greatnefs; I was unhappy, and retired. I fought for fome time what I at length found here, a place where all real wants might be easily fupplied, and where I might not be under the neceffity of purchafing the affiftance of men by the toleration of their follies. Here I faw fruits and herbs and water, and here determined to wait the hand of death, which I hope, when at laft it comes, will fall lightly on me.

Forty-eight years had I now pr Ted in forgetfulness of all mortal cares, and without any inclination to wander farther than the neceffity of procuring fuftenance required; but as I ftood one day beholding the rock that overhangs my cell, I found in myfelf a defire to climb it; and when I was on its top, was in the fame manner determined to scale the next, till by degrees I conceived a wish to view the fummit of the mountain, at the foot of which I had fo long refided. This mo

tion of my thoughts I endeavoured to fupprefs, not because it appeared criminal, but because it was new; and all change not evidently for the better alarms a mind taught by experience to distrust itself. I was often afraid that my heart was deceiving me, that my impatience of confinement rose from fome earthly pafon, and that my ardour to furvey the works of nature

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was only a hidden longing to mingle once again in the fcenes of life. I therefore endeavoured to fettle my thoughts into their former ftate, but found their diftraction every day greater. I was always reproaching myfelf with the want of happiness within my reach, and at laft began to question whether it was not laziness rather than caution that reftrained me from climbing to the fammit of Teneriffe.

I rofe therefore before the day, and began my journey up the fteep of the mountain; but I had not advanced far, old as I was and burthened with provifions, when the day began to fhine upon me; the declivities grew more precipitous, and the fand fliding beneath my feet; at laft, fainting with labour, I arrived at a finall plain almost inclofed by rocks, and open only to the eaft. I fat down to reft a while, in full perfuafion that when I had recovered my ftrength, I fhould proceed on my defign; but when once I had tafted eafe, I found many reafons against disturbing it. The branches fpread a fhade over my head, and the gales of spring wafted odours to my bofom.

As I fat thus, forming alternately excufes for delay and refolutions to go forward, an irresistible heaviness fuddenly furprised me; I laid my head upon the bank, and refigned myself to fleep; when methought I heard the found as of the flight of eagles, and a being of more than human dignity ftood before me. While I was deliberating how to addrefs him, he took me by the hand with an air of kindness, and afked me folemnly, But without severity, "Theodore, whither art thou go"ing?" I am climbing, answered I, to the top of the mountain, to enjoy a more extenfive profpect of the works of nature. "Attend firft, faid he, to the prof"pect which this place affords, and what thou dost "not understand I will explain. I am one of the be"nevolent beings who watch over the children of the "duft, to preferve them from thofe evils which will "not ultimately terminate in good, and which they do not, by their own faults, bring upon themfelves.

"Look

"Look round therefore without fear; obferve, con"template, and be inftructed."

Encouraged by this affurance, I looked and beheld a mountain higher than Teneriffe, to the fummit of which the human eye could never reach; when I had tired myself with gazing upon its height, I turned my eyes towards its foot, which I could easily discover, but was amazed to find it without foundation, and placed inconceivably in emptinefs and darknefs. Thus I ftood terrified and confused; above were tracks infcrutable, and below was total vacuity. But my protector, with a voice of admonition, cried out, "Theodore, be not affrighted, but raife thy eyes again; the Mountain of Exiflence is before thee, furvey it and be wife."

I then looked with more deliberate attention, and obferved the bottom of the mountain to be of gentle rife, and overspread with flowers; the middle to be more steep, embarraffed with crags, and interrupted by precipices, over which hung branches loaded with fruits, and among which were fcattered palaces and bowers. The tracks which my eye could reach nearest the top were generally barren; but there were among the clefts of the rocks a few hardy evergreens, which, though they did not give much pleasure to the fight or fmell, yet seemed to cheer the labour and facilitate the fteps of those who were clambering among them.

Then, beginning to examine more minutely the different parts, I obferved at a great diftance a multitude of both fexes iffuing into view from the bottom of the mountain. Their first actions I could not accurately difcern; but, as they every moment approached nearer, I found that they amufed themfelves with gathering flowers under the fuperintendence of a modeft virgin in a white robe, who feemed not over folicitous to confine them to any fettled pace or certain track; for the knew that the whole ground was smooth and folid, and that they could not be eafily hurt or bewildered. When, as it often happened, they plucked a thistle for a flower, INNOCENCE, fo was the called, would fmile at the

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mistake. Happy, faid I, are they who are under fo gentle a government, and yet are fafe. But I had not opportunity to dwell long on the confideration of their felicity; for I found that INNOCENCE Continued her attendance but a little way, and feemed to confider only the flowery bottom of the mountain as her proper province. Those whom the abandoned scarcely knew that they were left, before they perceived themfelves in the hands of EDUCATION, a nymph more fevere in her aspect and imperious in her commands, who confined them to certain paths, in their opinion too narrow and too rough. These they were continually folicited to leave, by APPETITE, whom EDUCATION could never fright away, though the fometimes awed her to fuch timidity, that the effects of her prefence were fcarcely perceptible. Some went back to the first part of the mountain, and feemed defirous of continuing bufieft in plucking flowers, but were no longer guarded by INNOCENCE; and fuch as EDUCATION Could not force back, proceeded up the mountain by fome miry road, in which they were feldom feen, and fcarcely ever regarded.

AS EDUCATION led her troop up the mountain, nothing was more obfervable than that fhe was frequently giving them cautions to beware of HABITS; and was calling out to one or other at every step, that a HABIT was enfnating them; that they would be under the dominion of HABIT before they perceived their danger; and that those whom HABIT fhould once fubdue, had little hope of regaining their liberty.

Of this caution, fo frequently repeated, I was very folicitous to know the reason, when my protector directed my regard to a troop of pygmies, which appeared to walk filently before thofe that were climbing the mountain, and each to fmooth the way before het follower. I found that I had miffed the notice of them before, both because they were fo minute as not easily to be difcerned, and because they grew every moment mearer in their colour to the objects with which they

were